The Joker
by Kaoruke
Summary: Laughter is his favorite sound. Because to laugh, you must smile, and to smile, you must be happy. [Loogie-centric.]
1. The Joker

**Disclaimer: I do not own Get Ed!**

**Rating/Warnings: T. No warnings for this chapter.**

**Timeline: Post!Series, although reflects on the previous episodes of the series. Y'feel?**

**Pairings: None, Loogie-centric. **

**Other: I fucking love Loogie and he has literally four fics on this site that center around him like what the fuck. **

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><p><em>The Joker. <em>The name was a title, a label, a fact. There was no escaping it, either. Loogie truly _was _a joker, up to the point where he might as well replace the insignia of jokers on all playing cards. Of course, no one would _ever _buy a pack of playing cards if they saw his facetious smile on the front cover.

Anyways. Loogie was silly, ridiculous, foolhardy and rash. Everything from his well-versed impressions (does he practice them?), to his diabolically clever schemes that are initially a recipe for disaster (did he plan them?), to his sidekick and companion, Dr. Pinch.

At first, the Dojo crew assumed that the 'Dr.' was simply Loogie's puppet, brought to life by the boy's amazing ventriloquist skills. But over time it became more accepted that the catfish was its own persona, one that was tied to Loogie's left hand as a permanence of being. Perhaps it was even an AI that was disguised as a hand puppet!

No one knew the truth better than Loogie. After all, he was the reason there was any 'Doctor' to rely upon. And not to mention he was the _voice _of said Doctor.

So, what does that mean? Is the 'Joker' of the group a deranged maniac? Someone that likes taking things too far? Or someone that doesn't take things seriously, thus resulting in this elaborately planned antic, that goes on far longer than any other erratic thought that escapes the boy's mind?

The answer is simple.

After all, Loogie isn't nearly as dull as he makes himself out to be. Every word, every action, as much as he can make it, is _planned. _Thoughts, while seemingly rare for him, hide behind every intention. Not to say that he's a super genius, but that he's _sharp. _He catches onto things, but to downplay his ability to do so, he pretends to be clueless while having Dr. Pinch explain everything; on his own whim, from his own design.

Because, right next to 'You can't laugh at the same joke twice,' Loogie's favorite expression is 'The key to success is not telling everything you know.'

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><p>But just because he's observant, doesn't mean he quite understands those observations. He may jump to conclusions, even if he has good reason to, but he'll take things just a <em>bit <em>too literally. Almost like Ed in that respective, but not nearly as bad.

For example, the Klown incident. Loogie's humor and mannerisms are something more _spontaneous, _there is nothing premeditated when it comes to those things. The jokes, the laughs, the voices he constantly makes-all are on the spot, few are with thought to the previous situation, or even the current one. That's a good thing about the 'Joker', is that his 'jokes' are genuine.

So much, that in the past it angered his leader. A joke, a tirade of jokes more likely, set against their determined and fiery Burn. There should have been a moment, through Burn's seething anger, that Loogie should have stopped and realized that pushing him would set off the short temper within him.

But he couldn't. Not when everyone was laughing, smiling; being sincerely happy and light because of some silly words _he _said. How delightful, his thought process goes, everyone's smiling!

Almost everyone, that is.

Burn snaps, yells at him, shouts at him. As much as he didn't show it, Loogie _despises _the anger and temper of others, and can become disheartened quite quickly. (Luckily, he recovers just as quickly.) Thinking that there is no way to appease this hardened 'leader' of theirs, ('The Warrior?' Should Burn's title not have been 'The Yeller?') Loogie runs to a place where his overbearing antics will be appreciated.

Klown Town, where everyone is nearly as hilarious and puerile as he is.

If not more so.

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><p>During his time there, he no doubt enjoyed it. Outwardly, he was having a blast: being shot from cannons, balancing on thin wires, throwing pies and water balloons like bombs in a war, and running and laughing and screaming to his hearts' content. The Klowns thought he belonged here, and so did he.<p>

At least, outwardly.

Despite everything that has happened, part of him yearns for the small, intimate group that was the Dojo Delivery Crew. Part of him misses his longtime friends, people who were more special than Klowns because they accepted his strange qualities, not because they shared them but because they genuinely _liked _them.

More importantly, he missed putting mustard on his pancakes.

But, not wanting the Klowns to catch on to him, he devises a plan. Sending his most faithful doctor, to the Dojo's door, as a symbol of his desired recompense and forgiveness.

Yet, that plan comes a bit later than he liked. Because the Klowns are out, following Dojo's packages like they're hotcakes.

And, because of inner machinations, Loogie is struggling between wanting _actual _hotcakes, and the fact that he'll be up against his good friends.

Oh, for shame.

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><p>Hot in pursuit, ready to jack and hack a package that Dojo Delivery (who is reduced to a quartet, rather than the usual quintet) is handling. Thinking they'll outsmart the Klowns, the begin their 'Delta' formation. A mistake on their part, as Loogie is well-versed in their formations, as he used to be part of them. They intercept Fizz, who had the package. Her green eyes widen for a moment, in fear that <em>Oh God, <em>her mind cries out, _he's actually serious. Loogie's going to see through all our ploys! _

Fizz retreats, but not before being chased by a giant pair of scissors. They are aimed at her hover scooter, so they may cut the device in half, no doubt causing lasting damage on Fizz's part. No one is witness to this moment, but Loogie, in the heat of the moment, moves the steering wheel to divert the car from Fizz, so she may not get hurt in the least. His goofy shouts make the Klowns think it's truly an accident like he says, but he knows the truth.

He knows that he could never truly hurt any of these people, and as long as he's a part of this opposition (and as long as he's twice the height of any of the Klowns) he'll make sure that he _doesn't. _

They inevitably steal the package, thus retreating into Klown Town after the work was done.. They celebrate by putting on shows, shows on the highest fancies, thrown on whims and completely improvised, no matter how dangerous or thoughtless that seems.

And, as Loogie is skating on the roller coaster tracks, high above any face-painted freak, all he can think about was how much he missed his mustard pancakes.

_And my friends too, _he adds mentally, spinning around to ride the track backwards.

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><p>All in all, it's a lesson learned not to be too literal around Loogie, and to consider his feelings more. While he seems like a thoughtless, high-flying, monkey of laughter, he <em>is <em>a person, and people have emotions. (As much as they hate admitting it.) So, when he sees Burn pop out of the box with Dr. Pinch and an apology, he easily accepts.

When Loogie's life is saved by Ed in the early days, he stays true to his promise of repaying his debt. Perhaps he took it too far, but he did appreciate his life being saved at the time. When Loogie is left behind due to antics taken too far, he goes out to jack a package from the Klowns, so more _thought _and more _knowledge _can be implemented into his mind. This backfires on him (in a way that he didn't expect), and he has no choice but to rely on the rest of the team; people that berated him, but loved him all the same. And they truly proved the latter, by reversing the damage done by the Omnis, returning the chartreuse-clad male to his original state.

He's truly grateful for them, and he does try his best.

It would seem that he makes up mentally what he does physically. When the team is stumped on what to do (and he pretends to be, as well) he'll have Dr. Pinch explain things, or at least explain something to trigger the team's thought processes. When physical force and fighting is needed, he'll lay out the most impossible schemes that will take out more than one enemy at a time, and he'll cover anyone that needs covering.

For all that he's worth, and that's a lot, Loogie sure knows how to compensate for his shortcomings.

But nothing in this world of high-flying, fast-moving technology can compare to the gratification and value of his friends.

And that's all that matters, isn't it? That is The Joker's song, and this a tale of his ingenuity and loyalty.


	2. The Dreamer

**Disclaimer: I do not own Get Ed! **

**Ratings/Warnings: T. No warnings for this chapter. **

**Pairings: None (ignore the canon Ed/Deets implications), Loogie-centric.**

**Other: I love him so much you don't understand. His character dynamic means everything to me. This is so long, though, I dunno how I happened to write such a long chapter.**

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><p>If there was anyone on the team that clashed with Loogie, it was Deets.<p>

She was beauty, elegance, eloquence, and fancifulness rolled into one. He was humility, clumsiness, unpredictability, and childishness rolled into one. She was critical, straightforward, and quite The Dreamer. Loogie was easy going, melodramatic, and a Joker.

Between her idealistic heart, and his truthful spirit, there was nothing that contrasted more.

Despite the initial differences, they did share one thing, at the very least.

Their mind; both could be played off as shallow people, or people who didn't think to look past surfaces. But that wasn't necessarily true. Deets isn't as smart as Fizz, let's say, but she is thoughtful and knowledgeable when it counts; when there's a problem that the books can't solve, Deets is usually there with an explanation. The same could be said for Loogie; his intelligence as a whole is average at best, but his interpersonal knowledge with people and movements is beyond compare. Books and common sense elude him, but for the most part he is someone that can be fluid with fight (or flight) and just as easily masterful with social interactions. (Although he tends to blunder there, as well.)

There's more to them that meets the surface.

Hopefully, at least.

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><p>"Team, I'm having you split up on drops today," Ol' Skool announces, his gangly and elderly figure walking through the automatic doors of the living room. Everyone looks up from what they were doing; Fizz's repairs on an old invention pause momentarily, as a weld mask is lifted from her small, cherubic face. Her bright, brilliantly green eyes look upward in confusion.<p>

Burn, on the other hand, is in the middle of playing Laser Geddon with Ed. He nearly wins before the interruption made him jump, causing a delay in his gaming skills, allowing the opponent to snag the win from him. Ed, in turn, seems happy about this little victory just now gained, and is ready to cheer in happiness, although refrains from doing so in the presence of Ol' Skool.

Deets is testing a new polish, having been displeased with her old one immensely so. While the colors were eye catching, her own verdant orbs shifted towards the leader-like figure of Ol' Skool. Loogie was sitting next to her, scolding Dr. Pinch about something nearly trivial. The catfish admonishes him greatly, snapping at him to 'Pay attention!' ultimately bringing the boy's gaze towards the other.

All eyes, bright, beautiful, and curious, ended up staring straight at the old man, wondering what was so important that they had to 'split up'.

But, their silently accepted leader of the quintet, Burn, brings their questions to light by voicing them on his own volition.

"What d'you mean, 'split up'?" Burn questions, standing up from his gaming chair. His arms are crossed, a dark brow raised in suspicion and caution.

"Just what it means. Two deliveries, two teams. They have to be delivered to the same place, but they're separated due to security reasons," the man explains, walking closer to his esteemed charges.

"So, what? Are we drawing sticks?" Ed asks, bounding over to the others with Burn as they gather near Ol' Skool.

"Not so. Fizz, I want you, Ed, and Burn to take on Sector 14. Burn should carry the package, it's heavy, and I'm depending on the smaller two to cover him. Y'know, like-"

"-Like two cheetahs, guarding their captured zebra until they _eat it!_" Loogie cries out, springing from his seat with a clamor of ridicule and silliness.

Everyone stares in silence, puzzled by his initial reaction. You would think that being in his near company for so long would make them resistant to his 'Loogie-like' tendencies, but that is not so. Noticing the ambiance of the room, Loogie quickly adds: "D'you think zebras taste better with ketchup, or relish?"

The tension is diffused, with a quiet sigh and low buzz of laughter (was it forced? He couldn't tell.) with an added: "You idiot, zebras shouldn't be on your diet! It's unhealthy!" from the catfish doctor.

"Lecturing Loogie about health? More like trying to tell a dog to be a cat!" Deets exasperates, giggling to herself with quieter resonations of laughter from the others.

"Alright, alright," Ol' Skool announces, "settle down. So that leaves Loogie and Deets. You two will handle the other package, the package that's in Sector 9."

"Sector 9?" Deets rises, looking alarmed and voicing such concerns. "That's dangerous! Shouldn't Ed, or Burn, or someone else go there?"

"I don't want Bedlam to have another excuse to capture Ed, especially when Sector 9's so close to his lair," Ol' Skool implements, adding on to it with: "besides, you two are some of the quickest members on this team. I want this job done as fast as possible. 'Cause if you don't deliver both packages together, then you won't get the cred!"

"Oooh, I love cred! Especially with cheese!" Loogie cries out, Dr. Pinch quickly interjecting a "He said _cred, _not _bread!_"

Deets sighed, and rubbed the side of her arm. "Still think it's a bad idea..."

"Oh, lighten up, Deets! It'll be fun, we'll get the cred, and we can meet up later!" Ed offers, resting a hand on her shoulder. This makes her smile lightly, giving a firm nod to show that she believed in his words.

"Glad we got that sorted out!" Burn announces, looking to the others. "Let's power up, guys!"

From a strange and magical force does the saying of 'power up' happen. A color rides through them, _their _assigned color, switching them from normal clothes, to gear specifically made for couriers, as well as gear specifically made for _kicking ass. _It starts with Fizz, whose violet shades are liquidized and brought to life with a nearly golden light. Surrounding her smallish frame are numerous symbols, and numbers. Her helmet doth appear after she poses with a battle stance, fully igniting her abilities within.

Following her, is Burn's little display. Like flames and embers, a light consumes him from the arms inward, covering clothed arms with the garb of the Dojo, similar to a knight donning its armor. Although, Burn is more than a knight. He is a _warrior, _and the pyres that grow around him only burn more to show that.

Next, is Loogie himself. The Joker puts on his costume! Springing into the air, with as much flexibility as the monkeys he so dearly loves, the symbols of The Joker engulf his personage, and aquamarine light engulfs him like water to a rock; wind to a valley. Finishing off with his helmet, as well, the boy never really gets the hang of this powering up, as he always ends up facing the other way despite everyone else.

Deets comes after, eloquent figure wrapped in a divine, almost endearing shade of magenta, covering her slender body with the Dojo garb as well. Despite having been fully covered with cosmetics to begin with, she is caught trying to apply more lipstick at the last minute, before she finishes her minute transformation, posing in her stance, as well.

Last, but never least, is Ed. He is last, as his power is the brightest, most vulvuous display there is. Similar to the color of the streets, the color of the binary code and blue sky of their Earth, the blue scape of their Progress City, Ed is a beacon of this color as it completely engulfs him. As he shows off (something he is known well to do), he finishes the group transformation with a kick and pose, smiling brightly for events to come.

When finished, the five youths head out, driving together until the intersection comes. A clamor of voices, which includes a regroup of the objective, bouts of 'good luck's' and 'beat ya to it!' following after, a fork in the digital road appears. Then, teal and pink separate from the other colors, heading down a road most dark and foul.

Sector 9.

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><p><em>"This is DJ Dive, and it looks like Dojo is feeling the mojo as they split up, tag teeming a double package. Will they be able to get the cred, or will they get doubled by other courier teams?"<em>

That unchanging voice, the most familiar voice in all of Progress City, resonates through the air. A soft hum of sound waves emit from the radio tower, matching the not-so-soft humming coming from Loogie's throat. Deets sighs, flying beside the skater with little content for the situation. A harsh thump to his head indicates she wishes for the sound to cease, and he does so after letting out a harsh (although noticeably fake) 'Ow!'

Despite wanting silence, only a few minutes later does Deets resurface the entity that is noise, and she achieves this by simply letting loose an inquiry, against her better judgement. (As always.)

"What do you think the package is?" She dares to ask, carefully wording it to hopefully get a straight answer from the boy. He was so flighty, that sometimes it would take an infuriatingly long time to get anything significant out of him. Paradoxically, the boy was like a leaky pipe, and if you sometimes gave him the right kick, he wouldn't stop flowing with words no matter how much you wished it, and it wasn't until you stuffed him close would he stop.

Hopefully now wouldn't be one of those times. Although Deets had a way to shut him up if he went off in a strange frenzy again, she would rather leave him as he is.

"Hmmmmm," he elongates the sound, putting his right hand to his chin as if in thought. "Hmmmmmmmmmmm." His voice is raised to an incredibly annoying pitch, and through a smile does he prolong the reply time to Deets' question. Then, both hands suddenly raise into the air, in waving motions as if he was indicating something of enormous proportions. "I think it's a _giant _tennis ball, one that can explode and turn into a bunch of smaller tennis balls!"

Deets sighs, bringing a slender and gloved hand to her face in exasperation. "Why do I even bother to _ask..._?"

"Just don't try to kill me this time, chica! I've got a mad fuego going and you're gonna get burned if ya try anything funny!" Dr. Pinch suddenly screams, moving accusingly in her direction. (But not too far, as Loogie's arm can only reach so high without getting tired)

"For the _last time,_" the girl chided, "I am _not _trying to kill you! Everything bad that's ever happened to you before was on _accident_!" She insists, yelling loudly at the catfish doll.

"Uh-huh! Go ahead, we'll see if my _lawyers _think it was an accident!"

"What? Since when does a _catfish _have lawyers?" Deets questions, wide-eyed and confused by the entire situation.

"Since when do pink _monkeys _where make-up?" Dr. Pinch yells back, moving its metaphorical hips in a judgmental manner.

Deets gasps, and has half the mind to tear the thing apart, so as to stop anymore nonsensical banter from escaping its lips. Had Loogie's right hand not clamped over the toy's mouth in disbelief and disapproval, she might just have done so. "Mister! What did I say about insulting my friends like that?" He berates, letting go of the catfish to point a finger at him. "Apologize to Deets! Right now!"

"Oh, _fine_...Sorry I called you a monkey. You're actually really pretty!" The doctor offers, looking downward in shame.

"Apology accepted," the pinket harrumphs, looking away from the duo. However, after processing the reply given to her, jher glance returns to Loogie's general direction-at _him_, rather than the doctor-and she proses: "Do you really think I'm pretty?"

Loogie laughs, as if she told the funniest joke, the most obvious thing in the world. "Think? Deets, you're the prettiest! Like a sunflower in a tsunami!"

"Uh, thanks. I think."

"You're welcome~"

The two laugh, lightheartedness returning to them. Afterward, Deets finds herself sighing longingly; she mutters a: "If only Ed would tell me that..."

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><p>Meanwhile, the other three members are having an easier time with one another. Their package is closer to home than the opposing members, and they reach the pick up location in no time. A satisfied expression is on Burn's face, and he starts the process of connecting wires to the package, so they may prepare it for courier carrying.<p>

A rather large box was now in their possession, and they hooked it up to all of their machines; Ed's skateboard, Fizz's hover scooter, and Burn's motorcycle. The leader looks at the smaller members, cracking a smile. "We ready?"

"Ready!" they chorus, revving their engines in a similar fashion. Wires were tightened to a considerable degree, surrounding location scanned for enemies or deterrents, and finding none, Fizz gave a thumbs up.

"Then let's gooooo!" Burn cries out, zooming forward. The three of them move perfectly and easily, as if they were symbiotic creatures, as if this was something they did everyday. While the latter was more true than the former, they would be lying if they said things weren't easy for now. The road was blue, clear, and safe for the most part. But even the most convenient situations can turn on you, and they would find this out relatively soon.

"It's DNA!" Fizz cries out, looking behind her. "How did I miss them on the radar like that?"

Ed takes a glance, and narrows his eyes. Then, he averts his cerulean gaze to the front of the line, calling out to Burn: "There's like, five vans back there!"

"DNA?" Burn questions, looking exasperated at just the mere _mention_ of their name. "I hate those guys!"

They pick up the speed, so as to avoid the flurry of clones that lie just behind them. Those horrid clones, made of synthetic goop and mesh, with a permanent smile on their face, were possibly the most detestable creatures in this city, right next to their dispatcher, Bedlam. They only were ever programmed to say one thing: "Thanks for using DNA!" no matter what happened. Volatile and moldable, their smiling faces were facades to the pure horror and inconvenience they could bring.

Somewhere, a malignant Bedlam is smiling, eating popcorn as he watches this high speed car chase; something he causes of his own volition.

But Dojo Delivery Service doesn't plan on letting up, and they don't plan to give into _him _anytime soon. So that leaves one solution, and one only:

To keep going. Burn's eyes were alive with a fiery hate, but he would focus on the package for now.

_They better **hope **I don't get my hands on 'em._

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><p><em>"Looks like Dojo's running out of time, not to mention they've got DNA sniffing their tails like dogs. Will they be able to shake 'em, or will they have to give the beast its bait?" <em>

Back in Sector 9, Loogie looks up to the radio station's image in slight concern. With a tilt of the head and with a stride of the skates, he asks: "Looks like the others are in trouble, huh?"

"Yeah!" Dr. Pinch inputs, "They're gonna get jacked at this rate!"

"Focus," Deets scolds, flying ahead of Loogie only to stop and land a few meters in front of him. He gradually slows down, until he's stopped by the time he reaches Deets. Her jetpack folds in itself, and she starts walking around the area, as if looking from something. Loogie follows suit, poking through the off-side piles of dirt and tech.

"It says here that the package is here, too; and that it's 'decorated'," the girl explains, placing a hand on her hip. Bright eyes search around, brow quirked in curiosity. "What does it mean by 'decorated'? Is there a sign, or...-"

"Found it!"

She looks up, and on a tall pile of dilapidated machinery, Loogie can be seen balancing on one foot, a small-looking package balancing on his head. It's wrapped with a red bow, a little unconventional for packages these days. It seems delicate, and the way Loogie was handling it, it was doomed to fall. "I'm afraid of heights, I'm afraid of heights!" A dismayed catfish yells, looking down towards Deets. "Help meee!"

"How did you even...agh, nevermind!" She yells, starting up her jetpack again. The pink, metallic wings spread and propel her upwards, flying her up to meet his height. She extends her arms, as if waiting for the package to be placed in there. "Give me the drop, Loogie."

"But it's soooo much better as a toy, don't cha think?" He laughs as he turns his back on Deets, carelessly springing the package into the air.

Her eyes widen, and she flies up to catch it aireborne. The shape almost eludes her grip, but once it finds its way in her hands, she calms down. Her composure is regained, but from the knit brows and volatile expression, it was obvious that she was displeased.

Deets looks downward, at the now shorter Loogie (although he was always shorter than her) and Pinch. "_Loogie!_" the girl reprimands verbally, "Loogie, don't mess around! We have to get this package back or no cred, remember? Besides, it could be fragile!"

"Aaaaaaaaaw." He pouts, crossing _his _arms in indignation. A scowl on his face displays his own disdain, as well as accusation. "I think _you _just want to play with it for yourself!"

"What? No!" Deets insists honestly, clutching tight to the package. "It's not something you play with, Loogie! This isn't a toy!"

"What if it _is _a toy?"

"Ten bucks says you're wrong!" The pink girl immediately points at him, eyes narrowed. "It's ridiculous! Ol' Skool wouldn't send us out to get _toys._"

"Wouldn't he, though?"

"Shut up! Let's just get back and-"

"_Not _without my toy!"

"Loogie!"

The in-liner springs into the air, reaching Deets's height with ease. Almost as if he was a flying monkey himself! She shies away from him, holding out the package away from his grip. However, despite what he said, he makes no move to grab the square shape.

Instead, his hand clamps around her right arm, making her eyes widen and gravity shift. With all his might, he tries to pluck the girl out of the sky, to get her landed again. This worked, as the right pull made the weight too heavy for her jetpack to sustain. Within seconds, Deets felt the air give way, her jetpack allowing her ultimate free fall. The two teens hurtle back towards the ground, and she doesn't hesitate to let out a screech.

Staring up at the sky now, she sees a bomb and several bullets pass overhead. They pass straight through her previous spot, as if they were aimed for her in the first place. Had she stayed there, no doubt serious damage would be sustained! Had he not pulled her down in that moment, she...

_Did Loogie save me? _

The duo is close to slamming into the ground, before Deets' instincts kick in. She starts up her flyer again, quickly grabbing Loogie by the hand, making a low and dangerous flight away from the opposition.

Because they were so low, they couldn't avoid the mountains of trash. Before she could scream, Deets slammed straight into a pile of discards, groaning as she tumbles down to the bottom.

A minute passes, before registering what just happened: Deets moves faster than a Black Friday shopper at the doors, throwing herself from the residual waste with utter disgust.

"_Why _do I always end up in trash?!" She screams, throwing the filth off of her in a lukewarm attempt to save herself from sustaining its stench and shape. "And who was shooting at me?" _  
><em>

"Obviously someone that wants the package!" Dr. Pinch yells, spitting a rotten banana peel from its mouth.

Both of the couriers jump slightly, as a loud _thump _resounded, merely feet away from them. They look, and emerging from a pile comes Spyker, along with a group of Bedlam Bots.

"Uh-oh! We're toast!" Dr. Pinch yells, as the two teens take a step back, being clearly outnumbered. There was what, twenty, thirty robots headed their way?

Spyker catches up to them and steps forward, red eyes alight with malice. He aims a laser cannon at them, deep voice growling: "Hand over the package or die."

"Uhhh..." Loogie rubs the back of his head with his left hand, smiling sheepishly. "Is 'or' an option?"

Using the EMP patches, Loogie throws a few to divert the robots' attention, and quickly shouts out "Ruuuuuun!"

Deets follows up quickly, zooming off after him. She eventually catches up with him, rising in altitude, several feet above Loogie's head. Despite the danger, the boy only skated a little above normal pace, not willing to give up his leisurely stride. It wasn't until a clamor of robotic feet appeared behind them, did they kick it into full gear.

How impertinent.

* * *

><p>"We're almost there!" Fizz cries out, driving as fast as her scooter can take her. They are mere feet away from DNA, who have been shooting projectiles and lasers at them the moment they were in proximity. By luck, or by evasive skills, they managed to dodge nearly all of them. They just had to keep going, as their destination was merely up ahead.<p>

"We won't make it if DNA keeps on like this!" Ed explains, looking back behind him.

"Right! We need a diversion!" Burn calls out, revving his motorcycle, despite the machine being at its full speed. "How'd they get so fast, anyways?"

"Doesn't matter! Ed, you and I will hold them back!" Fizz calls out, cutting her rope that connected her to the box. "Keep going, Burn!"

The leader felt the weight of his two members fall back, and he gives a firm nod as he moves even faster, their bodies no longer a harness to the drop.

"We'll make it! Just hope that Loogie and Deets make it here!"

There's not a thought in Burn's mind except for _Go. _The destination was close in sight, and the boy had to cut an _extremely _harsh break, just so he could avoid scratching the metal and laser gates of the front property. Removing his helmet, Burn waits for some voice recognition or the like to admit him.

"Dojo Delivery. Burn. Correct?" A robotic voice calls out. "That's me," Burn confirms, looking around, "One of two packages! The second one's comin' this way, also."

The gates open, following his explanation, allowing him entry. He drives up ahead, gates closing behind him, giving him a short reprieve from the chase going on outside.

Upon closer inspection, the property seems to be a large mansion of sorts, adorned by holographic flowers and trees. The water fountains let flow pixelized water, and gilded fixtures accented a bluish color, a color adapted from Progress City, no doubt. Further ahead, metallic statues of the owner stood symmetrical at the door.

The Warrior is astonished by all of this.

_Damn, _he thinks, _damn, this place is packed!_

The doors to the estate open, just meters away from him. Out comes a middle-aged man, followed by a small girl with blonde pigtails. She laughs, whilst swinging around a teddy bear. Both people approach Burn. It doesn't occur to them their familial relation, not that it mattered to him anyways.

"Thank you!" The man begins his greeting, "I've been waiting for this. I'll sign it with pleasure. Where's the second one?"

"Ah, it'll be coming in soon!" Burn explains, allowing the man to sign the paper. (Using a digital pen and electronic device as 'paper', of course.)

"I hope so! I couldn't possibly give you full cred if it doesn't come in."

"Yeah! I want my toy!" the girl supports her father, bouncing up and down in her place. Burn lifted a brow, a slight frown plastered on his face. _We went through all that to deliver some toys?_

"It'll be here soon, I promise you. Dojo Delivery doesn't do a half-smacked job!"

* * *

><p>On the highway leading from Sector 9, Loogie and Deets can be seen zooming down the street with their package, trying eagerly and earnestly to escape their pursuers.<p>

How could they not, when a league of angry robots followed their trail?

"This wouldn't be happening if you just gave me the package!" Deets shouted, clutching the object close to her chest, "If you would just listen to me, and we wouldn't be running from this-"

"We're fine!" Loogie insisted, glancing behind him with a smile. "They can't catch us if they can't see us!"

"Uh, but they see us! We're not invisible or anything!" She reminds him, Dr. Pinch screaming for no apparent reason at this moment.

"Not yet, we aren't!" Loogie immediately brakes, slowing down so he may turn around to face the enemy. The pinket's eyes widen, and she slows down herself to look back towards Loogie. "What are you _doing_?"

"Keep going! I got this!" He insisted. To the oncoming slough of machinery, Loogie raises his hand in a 'stop' motion, face determined to actually stop these leviathans. Surprisingly, the robots screech to a halt in front of him, staring down in obvious bewilderment.

Spyker cuts through the crimson crowd of lesser beings, glaring down at Loogie. Stepping closer, his presence is menacing. Just as menacing as his voice, perhaps.

"Ah yes, the _weird _one." Spyker addresses, "Give me the package this instant!" He holds his hand out, as if waiting for the transaction to transpire.

Loogie simply smiles, and waggles a finger at the much taller, _scarier _robot. "No can do, amigo! The package is long gone, it's gonna get delivered, and you can kiss your Bedlam butts goodbye 'cause you're not getting a bolt outta us! Why don't cha go to the scrap heap, where you'll _really _get a use for yourself, huh?"

Deets stared, jaw dropping at the sheer foolery (or is it bravery?) she was exposed to. Her eyes locked onto Loogie's figure, and the distressed Dr. Pinch. The social butterfly she was, she could easily read lips, and saw the puppet moving in such a strange matter, that took her a minute to understand he was mouthing words at her.

_Get out of here._

A stuck feeling remained in her throat, but she understood. Turning around, her jet pack thrusted her full speed ahead, far from Loogie's figure. Hearing a copious amount of lasers and missiles and other dangers, she forced herself to keep looking forward; looks towards the horizon, the changing landscape, the direction of the drop location.

_Don't look back, _she thinks, _Loogie's fine. _

* * *

><p>In reality, Spyker was completely unamused by Loogie's little act, and immediately raised a cannon to his face. Expecting that kind of action, the boy ducks, throwing his puppet into the air where a fake shriek escapes it felt mouth. (Although it's really Loogie's disembodied voice making the sound.)<p>

He skates underneath the robot's legs, appearing behind Spyker and facing the remaining robots. Dr. Pinch lands on Loogie's hand again in an impressive show. Although, once this is done, Loogie scratches his head with the same hand.

_Now what?_

He hadn't thought past this stage, so he relied on the enemy to make their move so he can respond. Luckily, they do just that.

The Bedlam Bots notice him, and raise their laser cannons so as to shoot at him a second time. The boy sighs, and simply skates out of the way as the beams of light go in his direction, but because he moved out of the way, they hit Spyker, instead.

"ARGH!" The droid yells, falling over from the bombardment of light-refracting energy shot at him. He's dismantled by his own allies at this point, an action that the robots seem to be alarmed over. Various noises squeak from them, and they look in search of their true target.

Loogie shoots out a grappling hook, latching onto one of the robots. Then, he skates effortlessly around them, rounding them up as if they were cattle, and not the deadly man made machines they were.

"Woo hoo!" Loogie cries out, laughing as he goes around and around. When the rope runs out, he throws a few EMP patches over, skating away from them as quickly as possible. Smacking his hands together, as if to get off a metaphorical dirt, he hums happily away from the huge explosion, to which destroys all of the robots.

Their parts splatter nearly everywhere, bolts and nuts and wires spilling like blood from a pig. Spyker, revived for nearly a moment, looks up at the retreating Loogie.

"I won't forget this, weird one. You will...pay..." and he shuts off, a process to which he is used to due to the countless beatings he receives, namely from the members of the Dojo Delivery Crew.

Like a hyena, Loogie laughs loudly, looking back at the fallen Spyker. "Pay in what? Euros? Yen? Pesos? Tell me, amigo!" His extensive use of little phrases in other languages only propels his humor further, and he eventually turns his back from the other completely, focused on the road ahead of him.

Dr. Pinch was resting on his side, groaning and moaning as if he suffered greatly. (Perhaps he did.)

"Why didn't you do that to begin with?" Dr. Pinch screams, falling down at Loogie's side in defeat. "You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

"Because I thought this would be more fun! Por supuesto!" Loogie explains, giggling in spite of himself.

"You are _so _impossible sometimes! Did it occur to you that you almost lost the package, or that you nearly worried Deets to death?"

The boy sighs, rolling his eyes. "Of course! What do you take me for, doctor? A cephalopod?"

"No, an idiot," Dr. Pinch insists, harrumphing.

"Fine, be like that! Don't blame me if I forget to put hot sauce in your bratwurst!"

"Loogie, _you're _the one that likes hot sauce in your bratwurst, not me!"

"Oooh, hot sauce in bratwurst? Sounds delish!"

Their banter continued, as they headed towards the main parts of Progress City, the horrid black and red fading and making way into a bright, blue, utopia.

Well, it _would _have been a utopia, save for the fact that a psychotic madman resides and controls sections of it.

* * *

><p>"Deets, Loogie, come in! Where are you guys? We only have twenty minutes before the drop ends! Hurry up!" Burn calls through his communication tech, angrily walking around.<p>

"Maybe they stopped for smoothies," Ed offered as an explanation, leaning back on the wall he was sitting against, "I heard there's this new place by Sector 12 and-"

"Ed, I'm pretty sure if they were stopped by anything, it was Bedlam. Their package was in Sector 9, after all." Fizz reasons, placing her chin in her hands.

"Scrub! Let's go check up on them, come on-"

Before Burn's command can go into effect, a pink blur dashes by the three of them, leaving Burn spinning and falling on his butt.

Ed blinks, looking to see what the sudden rush was. "What was that?"

Fizz adjusts her helmet, which came awfully askew. "I dunno! But I think it was-"

"Me?"

The three members look up, to see a descending Deets from the sky, a smug smile on her face. "Miss me?"

"Deets!" Ed calls out, running up to meet her.

"Hey, Ed!" she greets, patting his head. "Sorry I took so long. We ran into Bedlam. But, I made the delivery! So y'know what that means?"

"It means we got the cred!" Burn cries out victoriously, standing from his seat on the floor. "Good job, team! Wasn't easy, either."

"Wait a second," Fizz looks around, brow raised. "Where's Loogie?"

Deets's smile falters. "Well, he held off the Bedlam Bots so I could escape...I...don't know where he is, actually."

Immediately, the morale of the team seemed to drop, as they were down a member for the time being. A member that had, in the past, already had his fair share of being separated from them.

_Not again._

A moment of silence passes, but is quickly filled by a voice.

"Well, we can't just stand here! Let's go find him!" Ed insists, looking towards the other members.

"I'll just trace his electrogenetic waves," Fizz insists, pulling out a gizmo (one of many) from her scooter. "I'll also track his skates, to see if they're in use or not. We should split up for now, and maybe try our luck in the neighboring sectors of Sector 9."

The other three visibly sighed, but agreed with this method. Getting their gear ready, Burn looks to them all.

"Remember, find Loogie, ignore everything else. We don't go back 'till we find him!"

"Right!" the other three chorused, nodding and agreeing to Burn's order.

With that, the four of them set off, in search of their fifth and funniest member.

* * *

><p>Loogie wasn't sure when he got to the Dojo's hideout, but by the time he did, the moon was high in the sky.<p>

Was it late, or what?

"Guys, I got my peanut butter and ketchup pizza! I also brought cheese and sausage, yuck." Loogie laughs, placing pizza boxes on the table.

No one seemed to be there.

"You idiot, they're looking for you now! Why'd you stop and get pizza before coming here?" Dr. Pinch criticized, crossing his felt hands.

The boy scoffed, and rolled onto the sofa. He sat on it upside-down like, proceeding to eat pizza that way. "Because I was hungry, duh!" Another bite, chewing loudly and savoring the taste of cheese, tomato sauce, peanut butter, and ketchup. A strange palette he possessed, but it didn't bother him. When the minutes ticked by, and when the pizza when to his stomach, he started to become actually worried.

_Did they actually go looking for me? Why would they..._

A quiet sigh escapes, and he kicks his feet back and forth in impatience.

More minutes are wasted, before Dr. Pinch speaks up. "Aren't you gonna go find them? Or find Ol' Skool, at least?"

"But what if I go to find them and then they come back but then I'm out again? It'll be like a wild monkey chase and I'm not up for that!" Loogie whines, rolling on his stomach; such an action causes him to slowly flop onto the floor.

"You are so impossible sometimes! Yeesh! They're such good friends, and here you are making things harder for them!"

The boy sighs, and rubs his head with his free hand. "Yeah, you're right."

"And that's another thing, I'm-wha, what wait!" Dr. Pinch stops, staring at Loogie wide eyed. (Although that was his default expression.) "Did you say 'I'm right'?"

"No, I said 'you're right'! Do you even listen to me, Pinch?"

"I heard you! So you're admitting you're wrong, then?"

"Mhmm," he rolls under the table, and out from the other side, "I shouldn't be so hard on 'em. I should be softer, like a sponge." The boy splays his body out on the floor, as if ready to make snow angels.

But there is nothing but empty carpet.

"That settles it! I'm going to find them before they find me! And I'll apologize, too!"

As if brought to life, Loogie springs from the floor, stumbling as he does so.

"That's more like it! I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm countin' on ya, Loogie!"

And so, a teal-colored male can be seen exiting the Dojo, in search of his friends, who are in turn searching for him.

How funny.

* * *

><p><em>"Looks like Dojo's playing a mad game of hide and seek. Let's hope that there's no surprises looking for them, this late." <em>

DJ Dive's voice comes on again, and Ed can't help but worry that she's right. Because of the area where Loogie was was so Bedlam-infested, the boy worried that the dastardly villain would appear at any moment.

_What if Bedlam captured Loogie? What if Loogie's passed out somewhere? What if-_

"Ed, did you find him?" Burn's voice comes onto his earpiece, and the blue boy gives a sigh.

"No, Burn, I didn't. You?"

"No luck in Sector 3. Gonna check 11 soon. Keep in touch, got it?"

"Got it!" He looked around, cerulean eyes in search of his partner.

"Deets, where'd you head off to?"

"Ed!"

He runs over, looking for his pink comrade-in-arms. Finding her crouched over the pile of trash in Sector 9, he asks: "What's wrong?"

"Aren't these...isn't this Loogie's..."

Ed moved closer, and saw the items in question. They were a familiar pair of skates, Loogie-centric and no doubt belonging to him. What was concerning, though, was the color.

They were covered in red.

* * *

><p><em>Fifteen minutes earlier<em>

Loogie was skating, making his way back into Sector 9, in hopes that someone would be there looking for him.

Funny how he was trying to be found, and at the same time look for the others.

"Did ya have to bring the pizza with you?" Dr. Pinch complains.

"Mmm!" Loogie motions between bites of tomato-y goodness, "It's not a good search party without party pizza!"

"I don't get you sometimes," Dr. Pinch sighs, "wake me up when you find them."

The boy nodded, stopping before the area where he figured he was with Deets last. Scraps of robots remained, but most of it was cleaned up by some unknown force. Garbage bots, perhaps?

Skating quietly through the streets, Loogie supposed he was ready for things to jump out at him.

He never expected something to jump out on _top _of him.

A heavy crash occurred, the boy thumping to the ground as pounds and pounds of metal landed on his back. Had he not landed the way he did, no doubt something within him would have _cracked, _or sprained, at the very least.

It didn't take a genius to know that it was Spyker.

"I told you that you would pay!" The robot yells, grinding his metallic parts into Loogie's back.

"Yeeeowch!" He screamed, trying to not sound as pained as he really was. He tried to squirm his way through, but even his lanky body couldn't squeeze from this death throe.

_No._

"Hahaha!"

The pizza from before was trapped, as well. The food had fallen in the collision, and the teal-clad male could detect its triangular shapes underneath it. Loogie could also feel its red sauce smearing all over his shoes and bottom pant legs.

_Gross._

"Hey, what is this! Pin the tail on the Loogie?" The boy cries out hysterically, desperately looking for escape.

"I will not miss your antics," Spyker's voice looms, "Goodbye, _Loogie._"

"Goodbye!"

The boy takes out his grabbing device, and shoots it straight ahead of him. It latches onto a truck, and drags Loogie slowly, yet surely out of Spyker's grasp.

"Hey!"

The large robot reaches for the boy's dangling legs, but he only manages to grab his skates off. Noticing the pizza's remaining cheese on the skate, he throws the yellowish substances off of his fingers, leaving the footwear drenched in tomato sauce and ketchup.

It looked a lot like blood.

Loogie himself flew, as the device threw his momentum off, causing himself to soar over the barren wasteland of Sector 9. He quickly crashed, head smacking hard against a metal bar. At first, the severity of the collision made Loogie's vision swim, but the next thing he knew he felt a backbiting pain within him, throat stuck with hesitation and mucus.

The boy slumped over, half buried in dirt and trash, almost blacking out from the impact hitherto.

Dr. Pinch yelled out a measly 'Help!' before Loogie completely fell unconscious.

* * *

><p><em>'Help!'<em>

Deets blinked, ripping her gaze from the skates on the ground, to the direction where the voice came. "Ed, I heard something!"

"I did too! Here, I'll grab the skates!"

The two of them frantically ran in the direction of Loogie's voice (what they assumed was Loogie's voice) and found themselves deep within Sector 9.

Bedlam's Tower was utterly visible from here. Ed tried not to look at it.

"He's gotta be here somewhere!"

Deets temporarily leaves Ed's side, in order to search for their fallen member. She hesitates at first, seeing a copious amount of debris piled up. It stank and looked utterly disgusting, but Deets sucked it up.

_Come on, girl, _she thought to herself, _you've been in worse._

Digging quickly and distressfully through the trash, Deets tried her hardest to search for Loogie. Ed joined in, handling piles and heaps of trash and unwanted objects.

They're not sure how long they kept this tedious, yet stressful process going.

Minutes pass, and the night darkens. They fear that they'll have to retreat for the night, but Deets is determined to find her friend.

_Their _friend.

"LOOGIE!" She yells in shock and relief, falling to her knees in front of a certain pile.

Ed turns, and immediately rushes to Deets' side. Right there, half hidden under dirt and old wires, lay an unconscious Loogie and Pinch.

"Oh my God, Loogie, please be alive." She drags him out of the wreckage, and puts her head near his chest.

It went up, and then back down. A steady beat remained hidden behind his chest walls.

_He's alive._

A sigh of relief escapes, and she sits up, face in her hands. "You _idiot! _You had us worried...you idiot."

* * *

><p>In the end, Loogie was saved, and only sustained a minor concussion to which disappeared over night. Dojo managed to get their cred's worth, and took a day off for their hard work of the previous day.<p>

It was a day well earned, one could say.

"I'm just saying, none of this would have happened if you had just given me the package!"

"I guess, but I thought it would be so _monkey _if I could just play with the bots a bit! No one bothers trying to talk to them, y'know?"

Deets groans, giving up trying to reason with Loogie.

"At least you're safe now, and that's what matters." Burn comments.

"Yeah!" Fizz begins, looking excited, "Yeah, and you even took on Spyker solo! Usually only Ed can do that!"

"It was easy! Peezy! Lemon! Squeezy! Except for the part where he brutally knocked me out, but!" Loogie boasts, bringing out laughs from those around him.

"Next time, though, you should really just stick to the Dojo. Or called us, y'know?" Ed offers, patting his friend on the back.

"Yeah, yeah! I got it! Hey, did you ever try hot sauce with your bratwurst?"

Laughter, laughter, and more laughter. The group seems happier now, hardly as they were before, smiling with naught a worry, for the time being.

And that's just how Loogie liked it. He lay back in his seat, telling jokes to everyone. Deets, who hardly finds amusement in his antics, laughs wholeheartedly for once, on the verge of a laughing spiel. She lies against Ed for support, as her chest nearly explodes with laughter.

_Good, _Loogie thinks, _everyone looks better with a smile._


End file.
